Method of reproducing artistic designs



Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

' UNITED STATES 1,685,396 PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT 1!. BROWN, 01 DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO OX- FORD VARNISH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF REPRODUCING ARTISTIC DESIGNS.

Application filed March 2, 1925.

The present invention relates to a method of reproducing artistic designs in the nature of wood graining or the like, and to the article produced thereby.

5 One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a transparent supporting plate having an artistic design or wood graining applied to the rear surface thereof, which shall simulate for example the highly polished beautifully grained surface of an expensive article of furniture; and the method of making the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide an artistic panel which may be of general application.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a plane view of an article constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22.of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 show applications of the present invention.

According to one known method of reproducing designs of an artistic nature such as wood graining or the like, the design is first formed upon the surface of a work plate. An impression receiving material is then brought in contact with the surface of the work plate so as to take the design therefrom, and the impression receiving material is then brought into contact with the surface of the supporting body or plate which is to receive the design. This process has an important application in the simulation of wood graining upon metal or other surfaces, the said surfaces being first treated to provide a suitable background for the wood grain or other design which is then applied thereon by the method above described.

The design may be formed upon the surface of the work plate in any desired manner as by painting, or by forming thedesign in relief upon the plate, but preferably the design is produced by means of depressions in the plate, which depressions are filled with a suitable ink, paint, varnish, or other color bearing medium, which, for purposes of easier description, is hereinafter referred to as ink. For artistic work which portrays the minute cellular construction of wood graining, as

Serial No. 12,774.

well as the shades of color in the surface of the wood, the design'is preferably obtained by photographing a selected piece of wood and then transferring the design from the photographic negative to a copper, or other type of ink plate by etching or any other suitable process. After the plate has been formed, the entire plate is covered with ink and a doctor 1s then drawn over the surface of the plate to wipe the ink off of the top surface of the plate leaving the depressions or etched portions of the plate filled with ink, these inked portions representing the design which is to be transferred by the impression receiving material. The surface of the impression receiving material is of such a nature as to readily receive the inked design from the surface of the etched or work plate and to readily yield up the design when it is brought lnto contact with the surface of the supporting plate. For practical purposes the impression receiving material is preferably formed about the surface of a cylindrical roll which may be readily rolled over the surfaces of the work plate and of the supporting plate.

After the wood graining or other artistic design has been applied to the surface of the supporting plate it may be preserved and given a high polish or luster resembling highly polished surfaces of expensive furniture by applying one or more coats of varnish which may be rubbed down and polished in a manner which is well understood in the art of cabinet making. Such highly finished and grained surfaces whether in the natural wood or formed upon steel or other material by the process above described are quite generally protected by means of plate glass especially when these surfaces form the tops of articles of furniture such as desks and tables.

According to the present invention the results heretofore achieved by the above process, may be obtained in more beautiful and more durable form and at a less expense by the process which will now be described. .Referring to the drawing 20 denotes a supporting body of plate glass or any other suitable material which is transparent or translucent. The wood graining or other artistic design which is indicated at 21 is applied to the rear surface of the glass plate in any suitable manner as, for example, by transferring it from a work plate to the glass supporting plate through the medium of an impression receiving material in accordance with the process above described. By such transfer the unequal depths of the etched plate (assuming the work plate is etched as before discussed) are translated to the glass plate in the form of masses of pigment material of varying thickness corresponding tothe inequalities in depth of the recess. A layer of background material22 is then applied over the entire rear surface of the plate glass support 20. and it has been found that excellent and uniform results are obtainable by simply spraying the background material onto'the rear surface of the supporting plate, this background material being of the same color as the wood, the grain of which is being simulated, or any color can be used that provides a suitable ground color or backing to produce the desired tone or efi'ect with the graining, the ground color being directly visible between the masses of color that simulate the graining, and indirectly through the thinner areas of the color masses.

In a plate of panel constructed in accordance with this invention, the artistic design such for example as wood graining is brought out in great detail and appears with such an apparent depth, beauty of color, and brilliancy as to be indistinguishable from a panel of real wood stained, polished, and otherwise treated according to the best known methods for finishing wood. In additionthepresent process has an advantage over the genuine wood article in that the design is permanently affixed to the plate glass which latter forms a protection for the coating which is thus maintained at a constant brilliance which is less subject'to deterioration than varnish or other coatings with which wooden articles are generally protected. Further the glass- ,in which the panel 20 constitutes the top of a table or desk 23 which may be ofsteel or other well known construction. A table constructed to receive a panel of the character herein described may have a top- 24 of cheap and unfinished top construction upon which the panel 20 may be laid, the top being pro vided, if desired, with suitable marginal flange portions 25 or other means to retain the panel 20 in position. By means of the pres ent invention a-considerable saving may be thus efiected in the manufacture of desks and tables. In accordance with the prior meth ods of manufacture it has been necessary to the present invention the highly finished table top and the plate glass thereon may be entirely dispensed with and replaced by a panel constructed in accordance with the present invention. The use of a panel such as herein described for table tops is advantageous to the manufacturer of and dealer in tables in that the tables may be made up for stock in a standard design and finish, to be later supplied with panels in any desired finish according to the requirements of the customers. Another application of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein the panel 20 forms the panel of a radio receiving cabinet 26. The design carried on the panel 20 may be varied as desired to either harmonize with the finish of the cabinet 26 or to contrast therewith. Numerous other applications of the present invention will be at once apparent from the above illustrated applications. While the present invention has been herein described as embodying a transparent supporting body 20 of plate glass, it should be understood that the supporting body is not necessarily of such transparency as glass but may be translucent so that the design carried thereon is only faintly visible or fogged when the panel is viewed by reflected light, or the panel may be so constructed that it gives a beautiful effect of wood graining when light is transmitted through the panel. It is within the scope of the present invention to construct a panel which shall give substantially the same appearance of wood graining or the like whether it is viewed by reflected light or by transmitted light. And where the term transparent has been employed in the claims it is to be understood that this is intended to include generally a supporting body or material of clear, smoky or translucent properties viewed either by reflected or transmitted forms of apparatus for carrying this method into. eflect, constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

The method of reproducing artistic designs in simulation of the natural appearance of the surface of an article to be imitated, which comprises applying to the under or unexposed face of a transparent panel a single layer of pigment, the layer of pigment vary ing in thickness and corresponding in color to one of the colors of the natural article and the layer being in the form of an open de-' sign, whichowhen applied leaves uncovered portions of the transparent surface being treated, andsubsequently applying to said layer and to said uncovered portions of the transparent surface a layer of pigment corresponding in color to the dominatin color of the natural surface being treated, wiereby the color of the first layer of material wherever said layer varies in thickness will, when thus contrastly blended with the second layer, produce half tones and quarter tones as well as the full tones of the colors of the two layers of material applied to this transparent surface. a

In testimony. whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

ROBERT F. BROWN. 

